Candle in the Wind (REWRITTEN)
by UnderdogFan1254
Summary: Lewis N. Purebred, Sweet Polly's son, has been obsessed with Underdog for all his twelve years of life. Everyone around him insists that Underdog is dead. But Lewis doesn't believe that such heroism can die. Hearing about a lookalike in West Virginia is only fuel to the fire.
1. Chapter 1

**suicide + drugs tw**

* * *

"_Shoeshine?"_

Sweet Polly knocked on her best friend's door. A lump of nervousness formed in her throat. She had been knocking on Shoeshine's door for several minutes now. The mutt was magnificent at opening doors, or at the very least, making his state known. "_Just a sec," _Shoeshine would say, or tape a sign on his door that read "_Out to lunch."_

The lack of notice wasn't what made Polly nervous, however. Shoeshine was forgetful. Perhaps he just forgot the sign. Polly knocked again, making her knuckle tingle. She sighed as still no answer came.

Shoeshine… wasn't doing well. He never really was. He didn't have that much money, but Shoeshine was nice and optimistic, and had been getting on just fine. Up until a few months ago, anyway.

He and Polly had been hanging out late one night. Polly asked if he'd been doing alright, since Shoeshine had looked so, _so _exhausted. He sighed and let all sorts of words tumble out of his mouth.

"Not really!" Shoeshine said, "I've been missing my mom too much lately!"

"Well, that's alright," Polly replied. She knew full-well Shoeshine's parents had both died rather brutally about ten years ago. "It's rough, it happens."

"I know, but it's not like that," Shoeshine answered. "I used to think sometimes, _I'd love to visit my mom again, _and it'd scare me, because I'm not ready to die. But I was thinking about it earlier today and I didn't feel… anything. But sad."

Polly's fist clenched the cold metal of Shoeshine's doorknob as the words rolled through her mind. _I'm not ready to die. But it's stopped scaring me. _Polly took in a deep, shaking breath. Shoeshine wouldn't. Would he?

"Shoeshine?" Polly called, shaking the doorknob and knocking the wood, "Come on, man, you're scaring me."

Shoeshine had started looking and acting worse recently, too. He had bags under his eyes and his ears were terribly frizzed. Polly would ask him to join her for lunch, and Shoeshine wouldn't reply until hours later with, "_Sorry! Just woke up." _Polly had invited herself over to his apartment once to redecorate and help with some cleaning in an attempt to get his mood back up. The only food she had found were Cheerios and Nutella.

Polly had responded with a laugh back then. "You're an adult, Shoeshine, not a college student!"

"Eh," Shoeshine replied, "They're heart-healthy."

Polly sighed to herself now. She regretted not thinking anything of that or his response.

"Come on, Shoeshine," Polly whispered to herself. Her voice broke. "Just tell me you're alright."

The poodle dove a hand into her purse and flipped open her phone. Shoeshine hadn't left her any messages. She hit the _2 _button and balanced the silver phone against her shoulder. Polly continued to dig around in her purse, looking for her keyring this time.

Ring one… ring two… ring three… ring four… ring five…

"_This is Shoeshine Clark, I'm currently away. Please leave your name, number and message, and I will call you back as soon as possible. Thank you."_

Polly waited for the beep. She flipped the keys over her fingers and clutched her phone tightly.

"Hi, Shoes, it's me," she started. Then she paused, searching for the right words. "I'm worried about you. Call me back. Bye."

Polly hung up, swallowed, and sighed deeply. She held both keys and phone in either of her hands, and paced the hallway in front of Shoeshine's apartment. Maybe he was asleep. His ringtone was a saxophone, and it always woke him up.

Still, no response came. One minute passed. Then two. Then five.

Polly shoved her phone back into her purse and let out a deep breath. She shifted through her keys to find the one with _Apt 366 _on it. Shoeshine had given her the key encase he had ever lost his own. Or if he had ever locked himself in or out.

"I'm not that smart," Shoeshine had laughed as he handed his best friend the key.

Polly stuck the key in the hole. Before turning it, she knocked one more time. After a few moments, she twisted the key and opened the door.

"C'mon, Lewis, this isn't funny!" she called. Her voice boomed angrily, but really, she was more scared than upset.

Lewis was Shoeshine's real name, and he hated getting called that, so Polly never did. But now was a dire matter. Shoeshine had been depressed lately. Polly was just worried he'd done something terrible. She _needed _a response, even an angry one would do.

The poodle closed the door and set her purse on the arm of Shoeshine's couch. She gulped.

"Oh, come on, you bastard," she said to herself, but she didn't really mean it. Shoeshine had absolutely perfect hearing. He had to. He would've heard Polly calling him by now.

She looked around. Shoeshine only had a two-room apartment, and she was in the first. The couch was terribly messy, but it always was when Polly came over. Shoeshine frequently dozed off there. More recently, he'd just been too tired to fall asleep in his bed and slept there instead.

On the coffee table was a box of crackers, a jar of Nutella and a few empty brown fast food bags. Polly wasn't sure what to make of it. On one hand, she was glad that Shoeshine had eaten something aside from cereal recently. On the other, fast food wasn't exactly healthy. The TV was off. But Shoeshine never did leave it on long, he had a tight budget.

Polly swallowed despite the lump in her throat, and turned to look at the kitchen. Beer bottles littered the counter. Shoeshine couldn't hardly figure out how to open a pop bottle, Polly thought sadly. How did he manage _this?_

She padded over to get a closer look. Most of the medicines were still and unmoved, but Polly didn't dare touch any as to not get her fingerprints on them. After all, perhaps it wasn't suicide. It didn't look like Shoeshine was taking his antidepressants. He had been taking the pills since he moved to New York. Polly shook her head. It didn't take a scientist to tell that Shoeshine wasn't taking his prescriptions.

She did notice one thing. His benadryl was gone. Polly felt her heart skip a beat. Benadryl could kill if enough was taken. Her mom told her that.

"_No, no, no," _Polly gasped, letting a tear fall down her cheek. She rushed across the apartment to the furthest wall. Shoeshine left his bathroom door open when he wasn't using it. It was open, and the bathroom was clean. Polly padded in and looked around to see if any blood was anywhere.

There wasn't any. But blunt force trauma couldn't effect Shoeshine, Polly reminded herself. A bathroom wasn't lethal to a superhero. Polly placed her elbows on the side of the sink and leaned over. She shook and let herself cry, trying to compose herself.

She was absolutely terrified. All hope drained from her mind. There was only one room left. Polly pulled herself up and took a deep breath. Maybe Shoeshine's phone had died, that's why he didn't wake up when Polly called. But no, Polly told herself, a phone didn't ring if it was dead. People didn't answer if they were, either-

Polly pulled her hair up into a ponytail and stared at her reflection angrily. Shoeshine wasn't dead until she found his body herself. She exited the bathroom, and rested her hand on the cold metal doorknob of Shoeshine's bedroom, and paused. She knocked on the door, then sighed when there was no answer.

"_Oh where, oh where has my Underdog gone?" _she sang softly, her voice shaking. She clenched her teeth to prevent more tears from falling. "_Oh where, oh where could he be?"_

Shoeshine would answer to that. Absolutely he would. But he didn't.

With a shaking hand, Polly pushed open her best friend's bedroom door.

"_**SHOESHINE!"**_


	2. Chapter 2

**sex + alcohol tw**

* * *

It had been three years since Shoeshine had killed himself. Polly was thirty now and she still couldn't find it in herself to move on. She had loved- _still loved- _Shoeshine with everything in her. He was her best friend. He had been since they were both twenty.

Polly had tried many things to try and get her mind off Shoeshine. Yoga, meditation, reading, poker, pool, one-night stands… she couldn't get her mind off him. She understood what he meant about his mother now. She understood why Shoeshine had turned to alcohol, too, because she had as well.

"May I buy you a drink?"

Polly turned around in her stool. She gripped her glass tightly. Her eyes widened as she saw the source of the voice.

He was a kindly looking man, with dark half-lidded eyes and a sly smile. He was a dog, a mostly-beagle mutt, with tan fur and floppy black ears. Polly looked him up and down. His hands were at his sides, with one tucked into a pocket. He wore a full blue suit with a fedora and red tie. White-rimmed glasses were clipped onto his lapel.

Good God, he looked just like Shoeshine without his freckles.

"_Uhm," _Polly cleared her throat and twirled a piece of hair nervously. "I-I'm sorry, you just… you look so much like a dead friend."

"Sorry about that, I can't help it," the man chuckled, taking a seat beside Polly and resting his arms on the table. They were empty save for a few dollar bills between his fingers. "I'm sure they're in a better place now."

Polly sighed and circled a finger around the rim of her empty glass. "I sure hope so."

The man was silent a moment. Then he asked, "How about that drink, hm?" He observed Polly's glass. A drop or two of amber liquid sat in the bottom, accompanied by a cherry stem. "An old-fashioned, yes?"

Polly swallowed thickly, trying to push away the blur at the edge of her vision. She didn't take her eyes off the man's hands as she answered, "Sure."

The man called the bartender, passed the money, and ordered. Polly kept careful watch, trying not to blink, over his hands. His hands didn't move from the table. The only time they shifted was to grab one of the two small glasses. Polly grabbed the other.

The man held up his drink to offer a cheers. Polly couldn't help a smile splitting her face. They clinked together, and each took a drink. The man cleared his throat before setting it down. Polly took a bigger drink than he did.

"I don't believe I've introduced myself," the man said as Polly set down her drink. "My name is Taptap Clark. I work down at Tympani's Jewelry Store. You can call me Taps," he added with a wink.

Polly didn't notice. Her heartbeat quickened. She gripped her glass tighter.

Taptap looked concerned. "Are you alright, dear?"

Polly cleared her throat and took another drink to try and loosen the knot. "I'm fine," she lied with a click of her tongue. "My-my dead friend. His last name was Clark too."

"Ah," Taptap replied. "Sorry about that, love. I hear it used to be a rather popular last name."

Polly hummed thoughtfully. "Sure," she answered. She took another drink. "I'm Polly Purebred, I'm a reporter for TTV."

"I thought you looked a bit familiar," Taptap said, holding his glass to his lips. "No one can truly forget a woman as beautiful as you."

Polly flushed and finished her glass. "Th-thanks," she answered.

Taptap didn't seem like much of a threat. But Polly decided she didn't need to get any more drunk, just encase he tried something later in the night.

...ah, one more wouldn't hurt her.

A few more drinks in and hours later, Polly found that Taptap's soft hand was rubbing her cheek.

"Yes," he whispered, "You're one beautiful girl, Polly."

Polly hummed and grabbed his hand with her own.

Another drink and hour later, Taptap stood up and pulled Polly up with him. She drunkenly giggled as the man pulled her closer. Their noses were touching, and Polly could smell the alcohol on his breath. Taps held her face while Polly held her hands on his shoulders.

Polly just let words fall out of her mouth without much of a thought.

"Can I kiss you?" she asked, softly.

Taps didn't reply with words. Instead, he closed the gap between their muzzles and met Polly's lips with his own. Polly sighed wistfully and pushed her arms forward, resting her elbows on Taptap's shoulders.

Polly pushed back when Taps pulled away. Taps pulled her further from the bar so they wouldn't block it. She let his hands slide down to her hips.

"Are you good?" he asked kindly. "Like, clean?"

Polly flushed. Then she nodded and replied, "Yeah."

"Me too," Taps answered, pulling her into another kiss.

Polly's other one-night stands hadn't been this passionate with her. She didn't know quite why Taps was doing this, but, man, she adored it.

"Do you wanna come home with me?" Polly asked next time she got the chance.

Taps kissed her once more. "Yes," he answered.

Polly did just that. She closed the door to her apartment and turned to look at Taptap once more. He loosed his tie and smiled slyly. His eyes sparkled with love and lust. Polly returned the smile.

Taps stepped forward and pushed Polly against the door. His hands gripped her hips, one trailing a bit lower. Polly wrapped her leg around him as Taps pushed his knee forward. Polly held his face.

"Is this good?" Taps asked.

"_Perfect…" _Polly answered, kissing him.

Taps turned his muzzle downward and started work on Polly's neck. "God, you're gorgeous," he stated, kissing harder.

Polly was panting with her arms around him in bed before she knew it.

"Stay with me tonight," Polly begged, breathlessly.

Taps kissed her chest. "Yes, my dear, yes."

* * *

The next morning was not nearly as fun as the previous night. When Polly opened her eyes, she felt lightheaded and couldn't tell if Taptap was moving or not. She sat up slowly with a groan. Her hips really hurt, which was pretty fair. So did her back, which hadn't quite happened before.

"Good _morn~ing," _Taps chirped.

Polly groaned again and stretched, though couldn't help smiling. "Hi," she answered. "I feel pretty gross."

Taps sat up and kissed her shoulder. "I thought you were great."

Polly smiled a bit wider. "You were, too," she answered. "I'm going to the bathroom."

"Have fun."

Polly chuckled. She stood up, still dizzy, and pulled a tanktop and underwear from a drawer. The bed creaked as Taps stood up as well. Polly figured he was redressing too.

Whenever Polly arrived in the bathroom, she pulled out a box of pregnancy tests just out of habit. Usually she was rather scared waking up in the mornings after banging a stranger, but she quite liked Taptap. She hadn't ever asked anyone to spend the night.

She waited for the results as she got dressed. Then, she pulled her hair into a ponytail and brushed her teeth. She glanced over at the test a few moments later.

There were two lines on it.

Polly shook her head and closed her eyes a few seconds. She _had _woken up rather dizzy. It was probably just her mind playing tricks on her. She held the test closer.

Two lines.

Polly let out a nervous breath. No way- what? They used protection. Surely, _surely, _Polly told herself, it was just her dizziness.

The poodle stumbled out of the bathroom and back to her bedroom. Taps was humming beside the bed, wearing his dress shirt and underwear.

"What's that, love?" he asked.

Polly padded closer. "It's a pregnancy test. _Uhm… _my eyes haven't really woken up yet, I don't think, how many lines does this have?"

She showed the test to Taptap. He observed it a few times, his eyes darting between the screen and the key.

"Th-there's two," he answered.

"...ah, fuck…" Polly replied.

Polly glanced up at him, but couldn't keep his gaze. Taptap looked as if he'd seen a ghost.

"Oh my god," he whispered. "Oh my god! Polly, I'm so, _so _sorry! I didn't notice- I didn't-!" He spoke rapidly, his hands shaking as he reached out for Polly. He never actually touched her. He took a deep breath in and out, crossing his arms. One of his hands stroked his long, velvety black ears. "Are you, um… keeping it?"

Polly didn't answer for quite some time. She rolled it over in her head. She _did _want kids. She just didn't imagine this would be the way she'd get them.

Polly had set herself a moral code when she lost her virginity. If she got pregnant, she would keep it, no question. Unless the conception was traumatic, then she could get it out.

But Polly liked Taptap. She did. But on one hand… he looked so much like Shoeshine.

Polly clenched her fist and sighed, looking up at Taps. "Yeah, I am."

"...will I be allowed to see it?" Taps asked.

"Do you… want to?"

Taps didn't reply. Then he spoke quickly again. "I-I don't know. This is a lot, Polly. I didn't mean for this to happen."

Polly nodded sadly. She understood the sorrowful notes in his voice.

"I'll note you down as the father on the birth certificate," she said, looking at their feet. "And you'll certainly pay child support."

Taptap nodded with a sigh. "I deserve that. Polly, I'm so sorry. I didn't- if I'd noticed I would've pulled out faster- I didn't mean for this to happen…"

"It's alright, Taptap," Polly replied.

Taptap stepped away and slipped into his pants. He threw his blazer over his shoulder and put his hat on lightly.

"I should go," he said quickly. Then, the man rushed out of Polly's apartment.


	3. Chapter 3

Polly named him Lewis, and made sure he knew about his namesake as soon as she could. He looked so much like his father. He did, however, have a bit of black hair that she was sure she had given him.

Polly loved her little guy.

He was terribly reckless, and not very smart. Much like Underdog. Polly didn't mind. Lewis was her perfect little angel, even if he did fall out of trees fairly often.

Lewis was rather proud that Polly was his mother. Not from her news show, though; Lewis was very happy that she was a character in _The Underdog Show._

Lewis was twelve years old now, and he never stopped liking _Underdog._ It was one of the only things he spoke about at school and with teachers. He also quite liked _Thomas the Tank Engine, _eating cheese on apples, and _Pokemon, _but he thought those interests were significantly more embarrassing.

That day, at school, chromebooks covered the desks of the reading room. Lewis smiled as he took his seat.

"Cool Math time~!" said his best friend, Skye Highe, in a sing-song voice.

Lewis smiled a bit further and interlaced his fingers. He couldn't _wait _to challenge Skye in a game of _2048._ He soon stopped thinking that, though, as the teacher passed out sheets of notebook paper. Lewis blew a disappointed raspberry.

But then the teacher spoke. "Class," she announced, "Today you will be drafting an essay about a person who inspires you, and why."

Lewis perked up. He could _absolutely _do that! He pulled open his laptop, not bothering to listen to the guidelines. He was too caught up in the thought of writing about Underdog!

Quickly, Lewis opened up Wikipedia and searched for Underdog's name. He never actually read Underdog's article, as surprising as that was. His Mom didn't really let him use the Internet unless she was around. Lewis was alright with that, he was perfectly content watching his _Underdog _DVDs, or playing outside with Skye and his cousin Wilbur, or playing _Emerald._

As soon as the page loaded, Lewis' eyes glanced over to the box at the side. He practically copied everything it said down on his paper.

_Born: Lewis N. Clark, Jr., September 25, 1975_

Lewis' face started to hurt because of how much he was smiling. Underdog was named Lewis too! And Lewis was born _four days _before Underdog was!

_Occupation: Superhero_

_Years Active: 1996-2002_

Lewis froze as he saw the next lines. His eyes went wide in pure shock and horror. He could feel his stomach twist into knots as his happiness shattered.

_Died: February 15, 2002_

_Cause of death: Suicide by overdose_

"Are you good, Lewis?" asked Skye, across from him.

Lewis let out a small squeak and felt his eyes water. "N-no…" he answered.

Skye leaned over the railing of the desks as Lewis hung his head in his hands. She placed her hand on his shoulder. "What's up, man? You were so bright a second go."

"_Look…" _Lewis squeaked. He turned his screen in Skye's direction and pointed at the infobox. The gray beagle scanned it for a few seconds before gasping lightly.

"Ah, Lewis! I'm sorry!" Skye exclaimed.

Lewis wiped his nose on his yellow hoodie sleeve. "It's okay," he said hoarsely. Though, inside, Lewis wasn't sure if he could ever be okay again.

* * *

Several hours passed of Lewis wallowing in the misery of knowing his role model was dead. His essay in reading was half incomprehensible scribbles and half facts about the show's production. Finally, the final bell rang and Lewis leaned against the wall of the music room. Skye stood beside him.

"I feel so bad, Skye," he whimpered, crossing his arms.

"I know," Skye answered, "I can't imagine what I'd feel like if Stringer or Tubby died."

Lewis flashed a glance at her. "Stringer and Tubby are your _uncles," _he stated, "You'd be upset anyway."

"Yeah, you're right."

Lewis tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for Wilbur. He played clarinet and looked significantly more like the rest of the Purebred line.

The Purebreds weren't really purebred dogs; but even so, Lewis certainly was the odd one out. Lewis usually liked looking so much like Underdog, but now that he knew Underdog was dead, he hated it. He shook and clenched his eyes tightly shut.

The heavy band door squealed open. A poodle clad in a blue sweater stepped out.

"Hi Lewis, Skye," he greeted. Then his eyes widened. "Lewis, you look awful! What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Lewis lied, "I just wanna go home."

The three of them padded through the empty hallway and out the back door of the school, where the car riders waited. They didn't wait with the other car riders though. Instead, Wilbur lead Lewis and Skye to the front of the school. There, a short, cream-furred woman stood. She had curly red ears and hair, along with a muzzle a bit squished in.

Pinky Knees was Lewis and Wilbur's grandmother. Both of them referred to her as Nonna, while Skye usually called her Ms. Pinky.

"Hey kids!" she called.

The three children greeted her affectionately, but Lewis still couldn't force a note of sorrow out of his voice. Nonna didn't comment on his appearance, though, instead she patted her thigh and insisted they _hurry up, already!_ in her jokey little way.

The pekingese led the little kennel back to their apartment building. All three of them lived there, just on different floors, and their parents got off work at different times. Both Wilbur and Skye's parents got off at four o'clock. Mom got off at six.

On most days, Lewis didn't really mind this. Nonna had a key to their apartment if Lewis ever wanted anything from inside there. Today, however, Lewis had _several _angry questions for his mother.

When Mom eventually picked Lewis up, he found himself soon sobbing into her arms harder with every question she answered for him. Lewis even felt a few of his mother's own tears drip into his hair. It just made him _even more _saddened to know that Polly was just as upset, if not more, with Underdog's death as he was.

Lewis wept until he cried himself to exhaustion. His tears ran out, and his Mom's arms were just… so warm.

"I l-love you, Mom," he stuttered.

Mom gulped thickly. She forced a smile and rubbed a knuckle into Lewis' hair. "Love you too, kid."

One of Mom's thumbs wiped away the tear streaks on Lewis' cheeks before she whipped away her own.

"...I love you _so, so _much, Lewis. Don't you ever forget that."


	4. Chapter 4

Lewis was still not over his new finding the next day. He had been a slump through every class he went through and, despite usually finishing his work quickly, Lewis was dragging bundles of homework around that day.

As Lewis and Skye padded down the hall to reading class, Skye suggested that he switch his essay to someone else. Lewis nodded, though wasn't sure who else he could write about. He had Mom and Nonna, he supposed, but they inspired him because they were family. Underdog was amazing. Underdog was a superhero.

Lewis sighed sadly as he took his seat. He kneaded his heels into his backpack. He pulled open the laptop screen and took a deep breath. He would have to get over Underdog's death eventually.

The mutt let himself look up his hero's name. His eyes glazed over several article names, most of which were covering Underdog's death, or talking about the show or movie. Somewhere in the middle of the second page of the search engine, Lewis paused.

_"Underdog Clark Lookalike in Ravenswood, WV." _

The touchpad made a snapping noise with the force that Lewis hit the link.

Lewis' eyes glazed over the small words in the article. There were two pictures: one was extremely blurry with only slight forms of shapes. The main colors were cream, red, blue and brown. Lewis glanced down at the caption.

_"Underdog Lookalike drop-kicking convicted child predator." _

Lewis snorted and smiled. That sure seemed like an Underdog thing to do. He glanced down at the second photo.

This one was much more clear, though still had the graininess of the security camera it was taken from. There stood a cream-furred dog with ragged black ears and freckles. He wore a shirt that seemed pretty close to the color of Underdog's tunic. The dog also stood behind a yellow car, which Lewis could recall seeing in an episode.

Lewis bit his tongue and quietly wrote down the info on his essay paper. He'd have to investigate this further.

* * *

Lewis bounced his leg nervously. It was 5:00, one hour after Skye and Wilbur had left Nonna's apartment, and one hour before Lewis could.

"Your mom told me what you were so upset about yesterday," said Nonna.

Lewis winced. "Did you know Underdog, too?" Were the only words the mutt could think to ask.

Nonna chuckled and ruffled Lewis' black hair. _"Uh, _yeah," she answered, "I only gave birth to his best friend and dated his mentor."

Lewis looked up curiously. "What mentor?"

"You know your Grandpa Cauli?" Nonna asked. Lewis nodded. "Ole Cauli used to be a superhero named The Champion. But he stopped being a hero when your mother was eighteen, because he fell in love with a villian. Trained Underdog once he came to town."

Lewis pricked his ears and smiled. "Do you think we could visit Grandpa Cauli?" he asked.

Nonna chuckled and patted the young mutt's head. "Maybe this weekend, Lewis," she said.

Lewis huffed and sunk deep into the couch. Then, he pricked his ears once more and sat back up. "Will _you _tell me about Underdog, Nonna?"

Nonna sat down beside him. "Oh, sure. I suppose you'd like to know everything?" Lewis nodded enthusiastically. Nonna smiled kindly. "Alright, alright, alright. Well, let's see. Ten or so years ago, Underdog came driving into town. He heard a cry for help at the First Retriever National Bank, and immediately came flying over. The man robbing the bank was the infamous Boston Bully, arch nemesis of The Champion. Together, they took down the Boston Bully, and Champion took Underdog under his wing."

The mutt looked up at his Nonna incredulously. Just like Underdog to start his career with a grand heroic act! "What happens next!" he asked, excited.

"Well," Nonna replied, "He offered Underdog a place in his home, and the two started training until that first episode of his show happened. First thing Underdog ever did without his mentor watching. Grew into the guy who know today. All those cartoons happened in real-life, how cool is that?"

"Well!" Lewis chirped, suddenly stoked that he could talk about the show, "All of them had a real premise, but they were really upgraded for the sake of the show!"

Nonna nodded and patted his head contently. "That's right, Lewwie."

Lewis smiled very happily. He tossed over the next question in his head for several minutes before finally working up the courage to ask. "Where did Underdog come from, before he moved here?"

"Minnesota," Nonna replied. Lewis deflated, until, a few moments later, when she went on, "But, he said he grew up in West Virginia."

Lewis' heart _soared. _


	5. Chapter 5

Lewis still carried around tons of homework the next day, but this time, he didn't mind. His head (and heart) were focused on one thing and one thing only: how the _heck _he could get himself to Ravenswood.

Lewis wasn't exactly the best at planning, preferring to instead jump straight into things and seeing how it would go. This, however, was something _big. _And something _far away. _And Lewis figured that Mom probably wouldn't come with him.

His search history the next day in reading class included various things. _"How old do you have to be to ride the bus alone?" "Does the public bus cost money?" "Do all states have public transportation?" "How long does it take to get from New York to Ravenswood?" "Does West Virginia have subways?" "Does West Virginia have subways, no not the restaurant, the trains." _

Even though he looked them up, none of the answers really _clicked _in Lewis's head. In his mind, he was going to Ravenswood even if he had to walk there himself.

"I'm gonna go on vacation," Lewis lied to Skye that day at lunch. "But it's a bit of a secret, okay?"

"I am too!" Skye chirped happily, "Well, hopefully. We might wait until summer. My grandma wants to go to Israel."

Lewis nodded along, but he wasn't fully listening. He was too excited.

* * *

It was the final day of school before spring break, and Lewis realized he didn't exactly know what he was going to do. After all, Nonna picked him up everyday. And he walked out with Wilbur and Skye.

Finally, Lewis had a thought.

It was the last ten minutes of class, and his math teacher was very nice. When he raised his hand and asked to go to the restroom, she accepted. Lewis had always taken his backpack off in all his classes, but some of his classmates left them on their shoulders in the final class. Least to say, it wasn't that strange when Lewis exited with his backpack still on.

He was so nervous and so excited as he hid in the bathroom stall. He could hear every second tick by as he silently waited for the final bell to ring. Slowly, he unzipped his backpack.

Lewis was impulsive, but he wasn't _very _stupid. He knew that if he encountered a stranger who wouldn't leave him alone, then a weapon might be a good thing to have. Lewis pulled out his pencil bag and grabbed his scissors.

As he shoved the scissors into his hoodie pocket, the final bell rang. Lewis bolted out of the stall and down the hallway as quick as he could. He didn't care that he shouldn't run in the halls. It was spring break, dang it!

When Lewis busted out of the school's backdoors, he didn't run to front to meet Nonna. Meeting Nonna would ruin the whole plan. He ran around to the back. He clutched the chain link fence separating himself from the homes in his palms. He wasn't allowed to jump the fence. The kids who lived there weren't.

Yet…

Lewis padded a bit more steadily through the homes and other buildings, knowing no one who was looking for him was coming this way. The mutt had to admit he felt a bit bad leaving everyone without saying where he was going, but he knew no one would support him.

Besides, bringing Underdog back to Manhattan would be good for everyone. It would make him happy, and mom, and Grandpa Cauli, and Nonna, and probably Wilbur too! After walking down the streets, Lewis saw a bus stop sign and a person who looked like a teenager standing beside it. Lewis had finally popped out into New York's bustling streets. He clutched his scissor handles as he walked up to the person.

"Is- um, this a real bus stop or a school bus stop?" he asked a bit meekly.

The teen looked down at Lewis incredulously. "A real one," they answered, turning away and blowing a pink bubble up.

* * *

Pinky Knees was surprised to not see Lewis come out of the school with his friends, and both Wilbur and Skye were rather confused about where he went. Pinky said nothing, not even patting her thigh and calling her kennel along. The puppies were silent, too. On the walk back to Pinky's apartment, she pulled out her phone.

_"Hi, Mom," _Polly answered chipperly. _"You pulled me off-set, you know." _

"Yes," Pinky replied. Very suddenly, she looped her hand around the back of Wilbur's neck and held Skye close to her other side. "You know I wouldn't call if it wasn't important. I'm just wondering, is Lewis there with you?"

Polly took a moment to reply. Her voice was not nearly as happy when she answered. _"No. Why?" _

Pinky took in a deep breath, in and out. "I have bad news."

_"Oh god. Oh no. What?" _Polly spoke quickly now. Pinky could hear her breathing hitch.

"Lewis," Pinky answered, "He didn't come out of school. Now, I _know _that kid and I _know _he'd call me if he had a study group or something."

_"Y-you checked your voicemails, didn't you?" _

"Dear," Pinky replied, "I am never far away from my phone. I have not received any calls."

Polly's breathing became quicker and heavier. _"Th-this isn't good," _she stated. _"This isn't good! I'm coming home right away. Y-you, you call someone. You know more about this than I do." _

Pinky nodded. She thought about stating a quip about the _"adventures" _Polly and her brother used to go on, but she figured now was really not the time. "Yes, on it. Love you, dear."

_"Yeah," _Polly sighed, calming down only a small bit, _"Love you too." _

Polly turned off her phone and immediately faced OJ Skweeze. He sat alone behind the desk, his his topic was nearly finished. He met Polly's eyes quickly. Within a moment he stated, "And now to Bruce Bumpers with the afternoon traffic!"

As the camera angle changed, Mr. Skweeze leaped up and rushed to Polly's distressed side.

"What's wrong?" asked the man.

"M-my son," Polly answered, gripping her ears. She explained quickly. "He's missing, he didn't come out of school and no one got a call that he was staying after!"

Polly felt like both crying and dying right then and there. Her face was tight and red and her heart beat so loudly she could've sworn it would burst. OJ patted the poodle's shoulder and smiled kindly at her.

"I need to-" Polly gasped.

"Yes," her boss interrupted, "Go."

Polly rubbed one eye with her palm before smiling back. She rushed away and started home.

Traffic was awful, though. She only arrived back at her apartment at four. Luckily, that was sort of a good thing. Pinky wasn't baby-sitting, so she could comfort her daughter instead. Currently, the pekingese held her sobbing daughter's shoulders on the couch.

"We'll find him, I swear," Polly's mother kept whispering. "I called Cauli and Shifty. They're going to take care of things."

"Oh-" Polly sniffed. She removed her head from her hands and looked up at her mother. "I know they will. But still! My son is gone! Anything could've happened to him!" Her head fell once more. "Oh, what if he's _dead?! _What if Cauli and Shifty can only find his _bodyyy?!" _

"Polly. Don't think like that," her mother scolded. She placed a hand under Polly's chin and forced her to look up. "If you think like that you'll believe it. And we don't need beliefs like that. Okay?"

Polly nodded somberly. "Okay…" she whispered, but that didn't make her feel any better. Pink pulled Polly into her chest and stroked her hair gently until her tears ran out. Two hours later, Pinky gave Polly a small kiss on her head, promised Lewis would be found once more, and left telling Polly that she was there for whatever she may need.

Polly, however, was thinking of calling somebody else.

It was a longshot, and she knew it. But Polly didn't know what else to do. She typed _Tympani's Jewelry _into the search bar of her phone and up popped a number. She entered it in and hoped that the man she wished to speak to was on shift.

Sure enough, the exact voice she was looking for picked up.

_"Tympani's Jewelry!" _chirped Taptap happily.

"Taptap Clark?"

Taptap paused a moment. _"Sweet Polly Purebred. Love, how are you?" _

"That's the thing," Polly replied. "I feel bad using your work phone. Please, let me tell you my number and we can talk after your shift."

Taptap again didn't reply for a few seconds. "Okay," he answered, his voice more serious.

Polly recited her number and hung up. She kept her phone against her leg and bounced it nervously.

Just a few minutes later, Taptap called. _"What's wrong, love? You sounded upset," _he started.

"I…" Polly's mind was such a whirlwind of emotions, she didn't know if she could find the right words. "I _am _upset:"

Taptap's voice heightened as he attempted to comfort her. _"What's wrong?" _

"It's about our son," Polly replied.

_"I don't know if I can afford any more support, heh," _Taptap laughed lightly. Polly didn't.

"Taptap," she scolded, "That's not it. Lewis, he's- he's gone."

Taptap didn't reply right away. _"He's what? What do you mean, _**_gone?"_**

"Exactly that," Polly gasped. She could sob again if she let herself. "My mom picks him up from school everyday. Today, he didn't come out."

_"Does he have extra circulars?" _Taptap asked hurriedly. He sounded worried as well. _"Study hall?" _

Polly sighed and gritted her teeth, trying to hold her emotions back. "We didn't get any calls about that."

Taptap remained silent in shock. Polly went on.

"I tried calling him. His phone isn't on. I didn't even know you could turn _off _a flip phone. Lewis is either very smart or in the hands of someone very bad, and I don't know which to believe!" Polly spoke quickly. The words all tumbled out of her mouth and a tear fell down her face before she could stop any of it. She didn't know if Taptap understood her.

Finally, the man on the other end replied. _"Lewis _**_is _**_smart. I'm sure he is. My husband knows a few people," _he suddenly informed, _"Do you live in the same apartment? I'd love to be over there and help you." _

Polly sighed and slowed her thoughts. "Yes. I'd love for you to be over here, too. ...see you soon, Taps."

_"Yes. You too, love." _


End file.
